Guadalajara International Book Fair 2025

After nine days of book-related activities, the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) in Mexico concluded on December 7. The most important literary event in the Spanish-speaking world welcomed 953,112 attendees, who participated in more than three thousand activities on its program and enjoyed the cultural offerings of the delegation from Barcelona, ​​the Guest of Honor city.

For Karla Planter, Rector of the University of Guadalajara, the Fair is a reflection of the University: diverse, participatory, open, and committed to culture. “The FIL is Mexico, pluralistic and polyphonic, vibrant and also relevant. The FIL is from Guadalajara to the world; it is Mexico’s gift to global intelligence.”

Trinidad Padilla López, President of the FIL, added: “I remain firmly committed to ensuring that the FIL continues to be a bridge connecting literary traditions, regions of the world, languages, cultures, generations, and diverse ways of understanding ourselves. A bridge sustained by those who find in reading a space for dialogue, reflection, and encounter.”

In presenting the preliminary report, Marisol Schulz Manaut, director of the FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair), noted that the 39th edition of the book fair featured 2,790 publishing houses from 64 countries, offering readers a selection of 450,000 titles. The event also welcomed Richard Gere, Joan Manuel Serrat, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Venki Ramakrishnan, Pavel Gabor, Cristina Rivera Garza, and Gael García Bernal, who, along with other prominent figures, participated in various panels, discussions, and presentations. In total, more than 3,000 activities and 648 book presentations took place.

© Courtesy FIL Guadalajara/Carlos Zepeda

Awards and Tributes

Schulz Manaut also mentioned the participation of Amin Maalouf, who received the FIL Award for Literature in Romance Languages, as well as the presentation of the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Award to Fernanda Trías; the Indigenous Literatures of the Americas Award to María Victoria Díaz; the La Catrina Award to Elena Ospina; and various tributes, including those to Gonzalo Celorio, María Eugenia Salcedo, and the Association of University Presses of Latin America and the Caribbean.

A Children's Area

“It's no secret that one of the most beloved areas of the Fair is FIL Niños,” said Marisol Schulz, before announcing that this year the space for younger readers attracted 198,393 attendees. She also highlighted the digital reach of FIL, which has a community of 813,000 followers and this year surpassed 60 million users. The director expressed her gratitude for the support of the 72 sponsors and backers, the work of the Organizing Committee, and the contribution of the Barcelona delegation, which installed a promenade within the fairgrounds as the centerpiece of its cultural program.

The curator for the Barcelona delegation, Anna Guitart, thanked the organizers by paraphrasing her friend, the poet Antonio Clapés: “On Monday, this plaza we have built will no longer be here, and what will remain is not just the books; it will go much further than that. What will remain are the relationships we have forged, how we have come to know each other, and all the affection we have built these past few days. We leave both happy and sad.”

© Courtesy FIL Guadalajara

The Barcelona pavilion, covering 1,000 square meters, recreated the streets of Barcelona on April 23rd, Sant Jordi's Day. The space was adorned in red with the three thousand roses that were distributed, while 20 authors signed their books throughout the day.

The 40th edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) will take place from November 28th to December 6th, 2026, with Italy as the Guest of Honor.